


LarryBoy and the Unfortunate Reminder

by ItsaMePatches



Category: VeggieTales
Genre: Backstory, Bullying, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-17 05:48:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9308120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsaMePatches/pseuds/ItsaMePatches
Summary: The past likes to float up to the surface once in a while, even the ones which are especially unpleasant.After chasing a petty thief at a strip mall, LarryBoy and the thief both realize that they know each other from many years ago. Larry, because of this, is forced to recall his time back in Spring Valley, Minnesota.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Why did I write this?
> 
> (the pronunciation for "Cuke" is basically the "cuc" in "cucumber")

* * *

 

 

         It was a freezing winter in the city of Bumblyburg. Although snow was the desire of every child or a citizen who was a child at heart, the wish was left unfulfilled and instead, there was merely frost blending in with the grass and atop windows and buildings. Sure, there wasn’t any snow, but that didn’t stop a certain superhero and his beloved butler from going out for a nice brunch at a local cafe regardless...

         “Mall of America? That’s in Minnesota, I believe...”  
         “It is! Opened a while after I moved here though, so I didn’t get to see it for myself.”

         Alfred raised a brow to the vigilante across from him at the cafe table. “Really?”

         Larry nodded in reply, drinking from his hot chocolate. Once he felt satisfied with the amount he drank, he sat the cup down. “It looks so cool with the amusement rides there…” He paused in thought. “I think there’s an aquarium too. Maybe?” Dreamily, he sighed out, “I keep lookin’ at it on the computer. So cool…!”

         How cute, was the whole topic about the surreal mall a hint that, perhaps he was trying to suggest about visiting Minnesota now since most people settled back to their regular life instead of running about from state to state. Well, why on earth would he ever object to Larry’s want?

         “Master Larry,” Alfred took the plunge, querying, “would you like to visit it?” He held in a small laugh when Larry’s eyes brightened upon hearing the question. Just like a child…

         He kept his excitement to a minimum for once since he was aware that they were in a public setting as he replied with, “I wouldn’t mind! You wanna come?”

         “I’d go _anywhere_ with you, so you know what I’m going to answer,” was the result from him. “Does Monday sound like an appropriate day to go?”

         Nodding again, Larry drank from his cup, his stomach happily enjoying the warmth growing in and around it.

         Alfred lifted his cup of mint tea with a small smile to him. “It’s settled then! Since the mall’s in your home-state, perhaps I can finally meet your aunt and uncle in person. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind going on a tour around where you used to visit while living there! You know,” he gave him a few examples, “your church, the schools you went to--”

         “ _Schools_?” His voice was squeakier than usual when he repeated that particular “s” word while the secure hold on his cup loosened.

         He blinked, wondering what on earth was with that reaction. “W--well, yes. I wouldn’t mind seeing where you had your academics fulfilled prior to moving to Bumblyburg--”

         “I don’t wanna,” he blurted out. When Alfred was giving him a surprised look from the sudden change of heart, Larry felt the need to clarify himself. “Um,” Larry started, “school and I don’t get along well. I’m…” he lowered his voice as he whispered a confession, “slow.”

         “Well, alright. We don’t have to go there then. There must be plenty of places in your hometown we could see--”  
         “No!”

         Alfred’s face faltered at the outburst from the younger male. “Master Larry?”

         The realization that he yelled in a public area brought out a blush onto Larry’s cheeks. For a few seconds, he was silent; however, he cleared his throat and then explained, “I changed my mind about...going to Minnesota. I forgot that I’m afraid to fly.”

         He didn’t point out any flaws with that latter statement but rather stayed quiet. ‘ _We flew to Seattle two months ago though…_ ’ In addition to that, Larry’s been in a plane countless of times before that as well! Did he watch a horrific movie about flying? That’s all Alfred could guess at the moment for the confession handed to him.

 

* * *

 

 

         Two weeks later, something else happened…

         “I know it’s not really snow,” Larry commented, “but flurries still count as something winter-y, right?”

         Adjusting the shopping bag in his possession whilst also taking care of his monocle, Alfred looked to him with a smile. “They do.”

         As they continued their trip down the sidewalk of a strip mall, the wind picked up, causing the duo to snuggle their faces into the comfort of their flannel scarves for instant cover from whipping snow flurries flying in their direction.

         “Master Larry,” Alfred spoke up in question, “you never _did_ explain to me who we’re shopping for. It’s rather strange that they’re all wrapped, and you got these while I was elsewhere.” Larry shot him a mildly confused stare, both brows raised, something which he immediately noticed. “Wh--what? Am I...missing an important date?”

         But instead of directly answering what it could be, he simply grinned with a wink. “You’ll see, Alfred.”

         Just as Alfred was about to speak again, a man’s voice cried, “Hey that man stole my wallet!”

         “Master Larry,” Alfred whispered to the cucumber beside him whilst he sat down the bags, “stay safe.”

         Over the faint “jerk!” coming from the victim, Larry quickly responded with, “Always do. Call the police, ‘kay?”

         And off Larry went. He would probably dart into an alley and change once he could locate the thief in question. Alfred still couldn’t figure out how he swapped clothing so quickly, but however Larry did it, it must’ve been clever of him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         “Which way did he go?”

         The carrot male turned and saw Bumblyburg’s superhero, LarryBoy, standing there, patiently waiting for a reply. “H--,” he tried finding his voice, “he was heading to the water fountain. Pretty sure he swiped a lady’s purse too.”

         Before LarryBoy took pursuit, he quickly assured, “I’ll get your wallet back in no time, citizen!”

         His eyes shot up when LarryBoy shot into the air with the help of his plunger headgear and swung off in amazing speed. “O--okay! Thank you!”

 

 

         Spotting the baddie dashing down the strip from high above was rather easy for the yellow and purple clad superhero. Like any other time he needed to swoop in, LarryBoy sharply sucked in some chilly winter air, preparing himself for action. Another way he could tell this was the bad guy he was about to encounter was how he shoved by innocent civilians with a wallet and purse in his possession.

         Finally, he flew down, dropping lower and lower to the mall grounds.

         Oh, was he gonna land on the top of the fountain? How cool would _that_ be?!

         As cool as it was for LarryBoy to, indeed, land atop the water-spouting fountain, the crook wasn’t the only one to freeze up. Yikes, this water was ice cold! Oh right, winter. Well whatever, the thief was too surprised to actually run away from the silly display, so LarryBoy decided he might as well confront him in this manner. (...God, why couldn’t he have landed on the circular edge instead?!)

         LarryBoy, through a grimace as he stayed where he was on the spout, stammered, “N--not so fast, thief! Hand over the wallet and purse or else!”

         Huh, not very...superhero-like to say, but it would have to do for now.

         “Oh shoot, a superhero lives here--...” Suddenly, the thief, a pickle-lookin’ fella, furrowed his thin brows as though befuddled by LarryBoy’s appearance. His face soon contorted into obvious signs of recognition. “Hold on,” he spoke, throwing LarryBoy off-guard for a moment, “who are you?”

         Whoa, that accent seemed incredibly familiar...like a _Minnesota_ accent!

         “I’m LarryBoy,” he responded. “You wouldn’t happen to be from Minnesota, would you?”

         Widely, the thief blinked, but then the shock wore off and warped into an amused smile. “Well! As a matter of fact, I _am_ !” He took a step forward. “Now stop me if I’m wrong, but...you wouldn’t happen to be my little Buck-Toothed Cuke all the way from _Spring Valley_ , would you?”

         “Buck-Toothed _Cuke_...?” Something about that name produced twists and curls within his stomach while his mouth dried. Why? He wasn’t certain, but LarryBoy needed to get back on track and capture this guy--

         “No way,” the thief was now laughing lightly as he took another step, “I recognize that squeaky voice from _anywhere_! How did you get all the way here?”

         LarryBoy, if he wasn’t already, felt his body temperature drop, for, upon listening to the voice more from the man who suddenly struck a familiar nerve with his sub-conscious. That nickname was coming back to him, but where on earth did he hear it _last_? He squinted his eyes, prepared to shoot at the criminal if he attempted to flee. “Who are you?”

         Obviously unfazed by the stares of the shoppers who either passed by or stayed and watched, the pickle replied with a simple, “Lucas Pickles.”

         LarryBoy’s stomach flopped. As the hero forced himself to gulp a lump in his throat, he couldn’t stop himself from hitching a breath through his nose. Oh, he remembered Lucas Pickles now. He was aware why his body felt as though it was shutting down from...from _something_.

         “Lu--...” he squeaked with wide, fearful eyes, “Lucas…?”

         Lucas, the thief, kept an amused smirk at the shivering superhero atop the fountain, looking like a fool. “Buck-Toothed Cuke! You look like you remember who I am! Still look ridiculous like you did back in the good ol’ days!”

         LarryBoy certainly remembered Lucas Pickles from Spring Valley High School.

         His smirk cracked as he felt more confident about the situation. “I’ll bet you’re still a weak little dummy, aren’t you--”

         The next thing he knew, Lucas saw a flash and then yelped when he felt something whack him across the face. The shoppers who happened to be nearby were immediately alive with sounds of exclamation.

  


 

         Upon hearing the shocked cries of civilians, Alfred had a gut-feeling something occurred with required checking up on. Perhaps the robber had a gun or some other type of weapon on him? Oh, but what if it had something concerning Larry? Was the robber though and surprised him?

         “Please be all right, Larry,” he prayed under his breath as he hurried to where the mall fountain was located. Down past the various stores he went but almost stopped as a police car whizzed by him. _Finally_ , the police was here. Alfred caught up to the entrance which led to the fountain whilst the police officers climbed out of their vehicle and upon entering the area, he paused, taken by surprise.

         There was the thief propped against the fountain, tied together by one of LarryBoy’s ropes. Alfred knew the thief was hardly awake either by the impact left on the thief’s nose or perhaps a strike across the face...well, more than once. Maybe it was the thin cut across the man’s forehead? Whatever the cause might have been, he... _seemed_ fine, for upon being lifted onto his “feet” by one officer while the other picked up the purse and wallet, the thief spoke in a grumble.

         “I can’t believe he’s still so touchy about all of that. It’s been almost ten _years_ , for Pete’s sake!”

         Alfred became suspicious of the words, but before he had a chance to think more on it, his mobile began to buzz in his jacket. He turned, fishing for the handy object. There was a text waiting for him to answer…

          [ i’m _at the car_ ], it read.

         How odd, this wasn’t how Larry typically sent texts. They usually had a few exclamation points, question marks, and a cute emoji which somewhat resembled his face ( this one: :B ). A worried frown crossing his face, Alfred hurried along to the parking lot.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         “Please be okay, please be okay,” he chanted from fear for dear Larry as he ran down the lanes, attempting to locate the simple black car which belonged to them. If it was a minor injury, Alfred had a first-aid kit in his jacket and a more hefty one in the trunk; however, he’d have to take the younger man to the hospital if it’s anything worse. He just hoped whatever could possibly be troubling Larry could be resolved for the out-of-costume hero’s sake.

         He let out a sigh of relief when he spotted the car from the front. It appeared Larry had his scarf wrapped around his head loosely as though he was horribly trying to mask his face. “What on earth…?”

         Unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked, so Alfred was able to slide into the driver seat and shut the door. He paused when he almost spoke in order to buckle his seat belt and then he glanced to Larry. “Master...Larry…?”

         Larry shuddered in response, eyes clammed.

         He should drop the formal title. “Larry,” he gently spoke up again, “are you hurt?”

         A small “mm-mm” was his reply to Alfred along with a shake of his head.

         “...may I...remove the scarf?”  
         “Mm-hmm…”

         Larry shifted his body in order to give Alfred a better advantage to remove the flannel which Alfred, with a hushed “thank you”, began to do. As the unwinding went on, Alfred couldn’t help but notice how upset Larry seemed. The words spilling from the thief’s mouth soon followed. He claimed Larry was “still touchy” about it even after “almost ten years”. Goodness, the thief and Larry possessed an acquaintance with each other? What on earth happened?!

         Larry’s downcast eyes were puffy and red -- perhaps glassy from tears welling within them. His poor bottom lip looked as though he bit too hard into it with his buck teeth. This sight caused the butler’s stomach to drop.

         He was shocked by Larry’s appearance, but he knew he should try speaking again soon before the silence made Larry self-conscious. At first, Alfred failed to recover his voice, but then he felt the words flow out. “Larry,” he inquired above a whisper as he grew more and more concerned, “are you crying?”

         Larry shamefully bit into his hurt lip again, his breath hitching through his nostrils. No, he couldn’t cry, especially not in front of Alfred. Yeah this wouldn’t be the first time crying while Alfred was around, but he believed there was no true reason to do so. Taking a sharp breath as his eyes darted to Alfred, Larry croaked, “Superheroes _don’t_ cry, Alfred.”

         “But Larry--”  
         “ _Superheroes don’t cry!_ ”

         Alfred flinched at the strangled yell from his close friend but then watched Larry sniffle twice and shut his eyes to prevent Alfred from observing his eyes more. “Where should we go?”

         Once more, Larry sniffled and then hiccuped. “Ah--I wanna go home,” he croaked. “Please?” God, his head was killing him from holding in his crying, but...he didn’t want to embarrass himself from overreacting to something which happened years ago. Additionally, he hated making Alfred fret over him. He needed to be tough like any other superhero.

         _He had to get over it._

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Alfred returned from his trip to the kitchen, holding two cups of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. Larry was still bundled with two, perhaps three, quilts on the couch with a manatee plush securely tucked in with him, his red eyes staring blankly at the television.

 _“I can’t believe he’s still so touchy about all of that. It’s been almost ten_ **_years_ ** _, for Pete’s sake!”_

         Alfred briefly bit his lip in thought at the words which refused to leave. This situation didn’t feel right at all. In fact, this reaction felt familiar to _him_. A harsh shiver shot up his body, forcing him to wince at intruding memories which he wanted to forget for the better. ‘ _Come on_ ,’ he scolded himself in thought, ‘ _you must be there for Larry, don’t dwell on your own past in the process._ ’

         This was humiliating. Larry didn’t want Alfred to see him so vulnerable. He was a superhero, not fragile glass! Why did he have to react so violently to Lu--

         “Larry?”

         He jumped in his seat and whipped his head to the right to see Alfred joining him on the comfy couch. ‘ _You dummy, it’s just Alfred_ ,’ Larry’s conscious assured him. “Oh...h--hi Alf--fred,” he stuttered a greeting.

         “Larry,” he softly repeated the out-of-costume hero’s name, handing him his cocoa, “are you going to be all right?”

         “I sh--...” for a moment, he lost the volume of his voice; however, he successfully managed to retrieve it and tried speaking again, “I should be okay.” With fluttering downcast eyes, Larry sipped at his soothing drink.

         “Okay…” Alfred made a half smile; although, he felt it fading away once Larry continued drinking away. Stuttering, Larry was stuttering quite a bit. When was the last time he did this? He needed to dig through his memories in order to find any moment where Larry displayed the shaken behaviour. Finally, he remembered two instances.

         The first one occurred on a bus ride just before the Christmas season as the two were beginning to know each other.

 

 

_Alfred was speaking of his life in Cambridge, commenting on how unkindly his family treated his polite and gentle personality, claiming they held a belief that being nice to others didn’t matter. This was when Larry spoke up._

_“Being nice helps people.” He continued, though his voice showed hints of hesitation or nervousness, “I mean, where I was from, everyone knew each other and stuff since it was a tiny town, so I...had to deal with some pretty mean guys until I moved._

_After moving here, I got to meet a lot of nice people who made me feel better about myself...s--so, being nice helps, especially someone who’s been through a lot.”_

_On that day, Alfred had a feeling Larry might have been bullied._

 

 

         The second time came when LarryBoy figured out how he had been beaten by his former partner during a confrontation...back when Alfred had the role of “baddie”, though it wasn’t a role he wanted. Try as he might to deny the origin of the injuries on his body and face, LarryBoy didn’t believe Alfred’s “I was in a motorbike accident”.

 

 _“That’s a_ **_lie_ ** _.”_ _  
_ _“How would_ **_you_ ** _know?!”_

 _LarryBoy, who had torn his mask off moments ago, looked down for a moment but then, suddenly, his glassy eyes shot to him. With flushed cheeks, he confessed through a hitched pitch of his voice, “I accidentally saw you changing into my clothes on the first day you stayed at my place, and I saw the bruises,_ **_Alfred_ ** _. They looked exactly like the ones_ **_I_ ** _got back in Minnesota! A_ **_bat_ ** _caused them, not_ **_falling off a bike_ ** _!”_

 _He stammered all of that with wide eyes which became wetter and wetter whilst his lips trembled, and Alfred knew it wasn’t just because Larry was upset by what happened, but also due to possible resurfacing of things_ **_he_ ** _went through. Larry could relate to the unfortunate situation._

 

 

         Oh no…

         Alfred’s stomach dropped for a second time that day, his eyes drifting to Larry. Things were beginning to piece together. Ten years ago, Larry graduated high school...just barely. He was still in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

         Larry faced one of his bullies today, one who caused him psychological trauma.

         In unison,

         “Larry--”  
         “Alfred--”

         Both paused.

         “Go ahead, Larry,” Alfred gently gave him the go-ahead.

         Larry gulped, his brown eyes going to his dear manatee plush doll. As he held the doll tighter against himself, he confessed through feeble squeaks he made with each stutter, “I knew the robber. H--he’s from M--Minnesota. W--we went to high school...together.” He forced himself to turn around and face the Brit better. “C--can I tell you somethin’, Alfred?”

         Alfred nodded. “Of course…”

         He fell quiet for a few seconds, thinking of how to tell Alfred something...something that he should’ve told him _sooner_ but was scared to go into full detail. Larry sat his drink upon the coffee table, concocting a suitable way to tell the story. “Um...ah--I…” he whispered as he bowed his head into his doll from incoming shame, “I don’t know how to e--explain…”

         This hurt _so much_. Alfred couldn’t stand seeing someone who meant the world to him struggling to talk about the abuse he went through years prior to today. Carefully, he scooted closer to Larry until they brushed against each other. The touch caused Larry to look up at him.

         “However you want to tell me,” Alfred offered, “it’ll be fine.”

         Through the flipping he felt in his stomach and the shivering of his body, Larry allowed himself to lean against Alfred for comfort. “Well...y’know how I changed m--my mind about going to Minnesota a while back ‘cause I said I was scared of flying?”

         He hummed a soft “mm-hm” in reply, nodding.

         “...a--and how I said there weren’t that many ‘nice people’ where I lived?”  
         “I remember…”

         Larry closed his eyes, preparing himself to start his story. Once he knew he could hold himself together, he began.

 

 

* * *

 

**_The Unfortunate Reminder._ **

 

* * *

 

 

 

 _ <<       I dunno if it was because I was really shy or just not approachable...but whatever the reason was, I didn’t have friends throughout my school life. Kindergarten? Nope. Elementary school? Zilch. Middle school? Nada. By the time I started high school, I was gettin’ used to it. At least for a few years, I had my brothers to hang out with when I wasn’t at school...but, they were ten years older than me, so they went to college by the time I was still pretty young._ _Besides…_ >>

         Halfway through his slice of cheap pizza, thirteen-year-old Larry perked up in his seat when he heard the squeals of fellow classmates at the cafeteria. Where was _he_? Well, he was across from there, simply sitting on a bench by himself. Whenever he got close to that forbidden area, he froze and grew sick in his stomach. In order to combat the nerve wracking sensation, Larry ate lunch elsewhere. Gosh, he wouldn’t even _know_ what to say or do if he sat at one of the long tables.

<<       _...being around a lot of people made me nervous to where I didn’t feel confident to do anything. Maybe it was for the better that I was alone during then. Maybe it was all my fault for not having friends because of how shy I was. Maybe they couldn’t take me seriously because of my lisp or how I stuttered whenever I got nervous. Our school wasn’t that small, so a lot of them knew how I sounded, so…_ >>

         He took another bite into his pizza.

<<       _The longer I went to the school, the more I realized that there really was a reason why I_ was _by myself._ >>

 

 

* * *

 

         “U--um,” he felt his cheeks reddening as he attempted to read the selected text in his English textbook while he felt the eyes of everybody on him, “ _The world to me was a secret, which I desired to discover; to her it was a vacancy, which she sought to people with imaginations of her own._ ”

         The teacher beamed brightly at Larry as she brushed a part of her fringe out of her eye. “Excellent, Mister Cuke! You may take a seat.”

         Timidly, he sputtered, “Th--thanks, Missus Brussel.”

         Although Missus Brussels praised him for reading, he heard one or two snickers among the word “lisp” being uttered between fellow classmates.

         “He sounds like a snake with those ‘s’ sounds,” a boy behind him whispered.

         A girl whispered back, “I could hardly understand what he even read. We’re reading ‘ _Hamlet_ ’, right?”

         “Frankenstein.”  
         “...oh.”

         If his entire face wasn’t read already, it was now from embarrassment.  


_ <<       Moments like that got common whenever I had to talk in class or even ask the teachers somethin’. Eventually, they were brave enough to say it right in front of me. ‘Cause of that, I didn’t wanna talk much, even outside of class. I started hating how I acted and my lisp. The only ones I didn’t act this way towards were my aunt and uncle. I knew they wouldn’t make fun of me. _

_Things at school became less fun after my classmates realized I was a bit “slower” than everyone in the class._ >>  


         As soon as he walked through the front door, Larry’s aunt craned her neck from the couch, smiling brightly at him. “Larry, welcome home! How was school today?”  


_ <<      I didn’t wanna worry my folks that I even had to deal with being called a dummy either, so after practicing in the bathroom a few times before I went home… _ >>  


         “It was pretty fun, Auntie,” he smiled back with an even more lively look to it.

_ <<       I smiled and made sure to do that every time after school. I kept the bad stuff happenin’ at school while trying to enjoy myself elsewhere. Since Spring Valley’s so small, though, I ran into my classmates a lot...even on my family’s weekend outings. “It can’t get any worse than this,” I said to myself. “I’m gonna have to rough it out since I’m scared to tell the school what’s been going on.” _

_I guess when I said that, I jinxed myself. >>  
_

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         He was almost there. Larry had to finish his senior year, and he could finally get out of school. Sure, as long as he stayed in Spring Valley, he would bump into his former and current classmates; however, the occurrence would become less frequent. It was a miracle he survived the math classes for so long, considering that and English were his worst subjects, but he honestly had his aunt and uncle to thank for the extra help at home with homework and whatnot. Larry had a feeling once he graduated, he probably wouldn’t remember much of either subjects anyway.

         Instead of sitting indoors, Larry decided to head to the back of the school where there were tons of tables and miscellaneous sitting spots which didn’t have as many kids. Besides that, the weather was nice and cool with the sky having clouds drifting here and there that lowered the intensity of the sun’s rays on the inhabitants below.

         The average routine of doing everything by himself at school would soon come to an end.

         Larry shoveled some apple cobbler into his mouth while he kept his eyes glued to the comic book he read on the grass. He gulped down the surprisingly delicious dessert and flipped the page. Alongside doodling, reading comic books was a typical activity which he enjoyed during his breaks. Ahh, nice escape from reality, if truth be told.

         As Larry turned to the next page, he failed to pick up on the sound of somebody approaching him.

         “Hi there!” Larry jolted straight, nearly dropping the plastic spoon sticking from his mouth. He glanced up and saw a pickle fellow decked in baseball attire flashing a friendly grin. Odd, he never saw him before. He must be new to the school or he simply never noticed him. The unknown teen asked, “Mind if I have a seat?”

         Oh gosh, someone was talking to him! Larry hurriedly retrieved his voice after it had evaporated for a moment and squeaked in reply, “S--sure!”

         “Thanks!” He was careful to sit on the opposite side of the bench where Larry didn’t have his comic book and lunch tray laid out. “I was trying to find a place to eat, but all the tables were taken up, so I really appreciate it...uh, what’s your name?”

         Blushing from the sudden from the simple social interaction, Larry answered with a nervous smile, “Larry Cuke. Wh--what’s yours?”

         His eyes softened along with his grin. “Nice to meet you, Larry. I’m Lucas Pickles.”

 

_ <<       Lucas Pickles was a senior at Spring Valley High and the first student that I personally got to know day by day. He was a pretty cool guy! He loved comic books like me, he was our school’s baseball team as bater, already had a driver’s license, and he did bike tricks...like flippin’ in the air and poppin’ a wheelie. We kinda clicked somehow, and being with Lucas made my days at high school brighter. Sure, in school, we only got to meet during lunch, but my folks let me go out with him during the weekends… >>  
_

 

         “Okay, are you settled back there?” Lucas glanced over his shoulder at Larry.

         With a less shyness in his voice and body language, he beamed as he adjusted himself better on the back of Lucas’ mountain bike, “Yep! To the mall, right?”

         He shot a smile back in reply. “Yep. Hold on, okay?”

         Off the two teens went, away from Larry’s three-story house as his happy aunt and uncle watched the departure.

 

_ <<       ...so we ended up gettin’ closer and closer. >>  
_

 

         Larry fidgeted with his sweater’s hem as he waited in front of the school entrance one Friday night. He didn’t wait for much longer; however, when the double doors were pushed open. There was Lucas, fresh out of the shower and in a heavy sweater with a matching blue scarf while his wooden bat was over his right shoulder.

         “Larry!”  
         “Lucas!”

         “Aw, thanks for coming to the game! Saw you up there on the bleachers while I was at second base.” Lucas pulled Larry to him, looking obviously pleased upon seeing the blossoming boy.

         Larry blushed from the unfamiliar feeling of a non-familial embrace, but he made certain not to sputter his reply, “You did really great out there, Lucas...” Darn it, that came out a bit quieter than he was trying to avoid.

         Lucas laughed, gentle in volume. “Thanks! Are our folks waiting in the parking lot for us?”

         He inhaled in order to calm his rapidly beating heart. Once he was sure he would be fine, Larry twirled out of the hold. “They are. C’mon, we’re gonna go to Old Country Buffet!”

         “Ooo, _love_ that place!”

 

 _ <<       Alfred, this is gonna sound funny, I know, but I felt _ **_alive_ ** _hanging out with him. I--I mean, it’s not like I felt the opposite before I became friends with Lucas, but that happenin’_ **_did_ ** _make me feel like that at_ **_school_ ** _, even as the name-calling continued in class. I thanked God for him...every day. I had a feeling we were gonna stick by each other, even as we were about to graduate high school._

_...graduation. Heh... >>  
_

 

* * *

 

 

         Graduation rehearsal was finally done for the senior students of Spring Valley High School by the time six rolled around. Larry let out a sigh, feeling sticky in the face thanks to the darn heat in the auditorium. Why couldn’t they have practiced outside in the football field? That’s where they were going to have it anyway…

         “Gross…” Larry mumbled as soon as he continued walking, annoyed by the unpleasant layer on him, “I need to wash my face…”

         As he scrunched his nose, he tugged at the collar of his simple red t-shirt as a mean to allow cool air to enter the warm crevice between the shirt and himself, his eyes focused on the action for a moment while he went down the familiar halls. His eyes returned to their default position upon, _at last_ , reaching the bathroom.

         Larry poked his head in and then sighed from relief. Phew, nobody inside. Now he didn’t have to feel awkward washing his face with the hand soap and a paper towel in public. One scrub at his face with soapy water later, he dabbed at his face--

         Wait...were those voices? _Coming this way?!_

         He squeaked out a nervous sound and rushed into the furthest stall, quietly closing and locking the cheap door. Larry didn’t behave like this with Lucas, but other people? No way. What with a lot of the kids not necessarily being the nicest to him.

         “ _Man_ , it was hot in there…”  
         “Well hey, we’re going to the batting cages, so we’re gonna get sweaty anyways.”

         Larry’s stomach jumped upon hearing the second voice. Lucas! He was one of the first people to leave the auditorium, so it was kind of surprising to know he was still here.

         “So, Lucas,” the first voice spoke up again, “how’s the lisp boy?”

         “Larry? He’s kinda cute in a dorky way.”  
         “When are you planning on letting him go?”

         Larry raised a brow. “Letting him go”? What the heck was Lucas’ friend talking about?

         There was a soft sigh. “Do you think just ditching him on Graduation Day is good enough,” Lucas was asking, “or should I do something else?”

         “Eh, your idea’s fine. Don’t forget to get some money off him. Remember, he’s from that Cuke family. They’re loaded.”  
         “Boy, do I _ever_ know he’s rich! Our family’s planning on getting together and heading to a restaurant by the mall, so I know he’s dumb enough to bring a lot with him. That’s what he did whenever we went to the bookstore.”

         He couldn’t be…

         ...Lucas _couldn’t_ be...talking about _him_.

         That was Lucas’ voice. The other guy said “Lucas” and asked about how he was...but…

         Larry struggled to keep his body steady and listen on to the conversation more, even through the sound of the blood rushing through his ears.

         “Once you get the money and let him go,” Lucas’ associate said with assurance in his tone of voice, “all your stress will be gone, and you’ll get to have _these_ as a reward for our bet…”

         The sound of a backpack being opened by its zipper made itself known, followed by Lucas gasping.

         “Wow, there they are…” Lucas murmured, “I wish I could down one of those drinks right about now.”

         “Here. If you enact sooner than Graduation Day,” he replied, “you can have the rest of the treats. Anyway, I just needed to wash up, so I’ll meet you outside.”

         “Got’cha.”  
         “Don’t take _too_ long.”

         The door creaked open and then closed. Larry could hear a bottle -- such as one used for carbonated beverages -- being opened ( _hiss…_ ) while a faucet turned on. As he replayed the conversation in his mind, Larry lightly bit into his bottom lip, uncertain of what to do. Was Lucas...pretending to be his friend? What the heck was happening...?!

         Although Larry’s mind was yelling at him not to do it, the teen unlocked the stall door and stuck his head out. There was Lucas splashing water into his face, observing his reflection in the mirror. On the sink sat a bottle of Heineken which was currently half-full. Larry’s eyes trailed from the bottle to Lucas. Without a peep, he took a few steps closer as an attempt to grab Lucas’ attention.

         Lucas paused, feeling as though someone was watching him. His eyes darted to the right...and made contact with Larry’s.

         If there was ever a time in which the world felt like it paused, it was certainly now for both teenage boys. Several seconds later, the faucet water died, leaving the two in absolute silence.

         Once or twice did Lucas blink, standing up straight without grabbing his drink. “Oh hey Larry! How long have you been there--”

         “Are you pretending to be my friend?”  
         “What?”

         Larry wasn’t having it. Yes, he was slow, but he darn well knew when something was up -- especially when he was present to hear the _conversation_. “Y--you were talking to someone about ditching me on Graduation Day and taking my money, weren’t you?”

         Lucas’ brows shot up. Time to play dumb. “Why, what gave you _that_ idea?”

         “I heard it from the stall, Lucas. So could you please stop _playin’ around_ !”  
         “...could you repeat that without the lisping? I could hardly hear you just now.”

         Taken back by the nonchalant tone in Lucas’ voice, Larry felt himself weakly paraphrasing, “I heard you two from the bathroom s--stall.” His brown eyes went to the floor and then back to the other teen. “I thought...I thought we were _friends_ , Lucas.”

         “Truth be told, not really,” Lucas replied with a small shrug, not affected by Larry’s demeanor. “My team thought it’d be interesting to place a bet to see if any of us could become close friends with you for fun. Obviously, they owe me _big time_ , considering how long we’ve been glued at each other’s side.”

         All that managed to come out of him was a squeaked, “What…?”

         “You didn’t think I was actually becoming actual friends with you, did you? Sorry to burst your bubble, Larry, but...I really can’t see you being in any sort of relationship, let alone with _me_ , because of how you are. Your voice is squeaky, you’re slow, you’ve got a _lisp_ , you’re immature…the list goes on, but I’m sure you know the rest thanks to your classmates.”

         That struck a nerve, a very delicate one. Feeling the shame of being used, Larry’s neck and cheeks burned up as the cucumber averted his eyes over to the stall he stepped out of. “But why…?”

         Not making heads or tails on what Larry attempted to ask, Lucas said, “If you’re wondering why else I would do this besides a bet...it’s because taking out your school and sport-related stress on a softie is pretty rewarding. It took a while to build up the relationship, but seeing you like this was worth it.” He paused and then added in, “Y’know, you have the money to practically buy friends. Really, I’m surprised nobody tried being your friend because of that. I guess I’m the first to take the risk.”

         Larry bit his lip. This hurt listening to, but...he didn’t know what to do. The only friend he actually had after all these years was just some guy on a bet with his team mates! He forced himself to blink away the tears prickling at his eyes. ‘ _You’re an idiot, Larry_ ,’ he scolded himself. ‘ _You just made Lucas’ case…_ ’

         Taking his drink into his possession, he approached Larry, almost closing the gap between the two of them. “Speaking of money, Larry...if you’ve got any on you, could you hand it over? My team mates and I are planning on going to the arcade after graduation, so--”

         “...jerk…!”

         Larry’s voice was weak, almost quiet and mixed with a sob, but Lucas could still hear that one syllable being uttered. “Sorry Larry, but this is the real world. Weak guys like you are gonna have to deal with being used--”

         Perhaps it was the betrayal he felt after this revelation along with his entire school life being less-than-pleasant even before Lucas. Perhaps he had no idea how to truly react to this ugly lie. Whatever the cause, when Lucas was about to take a sip of his Heinekin, Larry knocked the alcoholic drink out of his hold. In unison with the bottle smashing, Lucas’ eyes shot to him.

         “The heck is wrong with you?!”  
         “You’re a jerk!”

         Lucas glared at him; however, Larry didn’t back down from yelling through his shaky voice.

         “I _trusted_ you! I thought we were friends, Lucas! But you ended up being like everybody else here! You’re...you’re…!” Larry’s lip wobbled, feeling even more ashamed by passing seconds. He was at a loss for words, so all the came out next was a choked, “...I _hate_ you.”

         “And I hate you for ruining my drink,” he shot back. “I was gonna savor that!”

         “ _Forget_ your stupid drink!” Larry gave in to the urge to shove Lucas, earning a shocked gasp from the taller teen. “You’re not supposed to have that kind at school anyway!”

         The glare from earlier returned to Lucas as Larry shoved past him; however, Larry wouldn’t make it out of the bathroom, because Lucas felt that Larry certainly owed him for destroying his precious bottle of Heinekin. If Larry wasn’t going to hand over any money like he asked, Lucas would have to depend on his strength and the baseball bat he had with him.

<<       _Right when I was gonna leave, I was knocked over from behind by Lucas with his bat “Trixie”. Ah--I don’t remember h--how long he hit me with Trixie, but...it was scary whenever he swung it down as he stood over me the entire time. I was too scared to fight back, too weak to do it too. I would’ve tried calling for help, but I was too scared to even do that. I think...maybe I was scared that he was gonna kill me because I stood up for myself, even if my attempt wasn’t that good._

_I r--remember a few of the things he said while he hit me. He was complainin’ about me ruining his drink, calling me an idiot the whole time, threatened to do this again if I ever told the school that he…_

_A--Anyway, I woke up on the bathroom floor. I probably passed out some time during all of that. I had to get out of there before anybody walked in on me. >>  
_

 

         As soon as he was finished wiping his face, Larry tossed the used paper towel into the garbage beside him and then returned his gaze to his reflection in the mirror. Okay, the cut on his lip stopped bleeding, and so did his nose. At least he looked more presentable for the public and his folks. The majority of his injuries were hidden elsewhere anyway, so thankfully he wouldn’t have to worry about those.

         The shame from earlier returned once he saw his form. Stupid buck teeth. Stupid dopey face. “I’m just a joke,” he murmured at his reflection through stinging, glassy eyes. Ugh, stupid voice and lisp!

         ...Well, time to start his long limp home. Maybe take a shortcut so not as many civilians saw his walking problem.

 

 

         His body was screaming at him to get help or at least treat his injuries, but Larry ignored the pleas and finally made it to the entrance of his home. He panted, “Hope Auntie and Uncle Stan aren’t worried about me bein’ late…”

         As soon as he stepped inside and shut the door, his aunt and uncle rose from the couch to greet their young nephew.

         The first to speak was Stan, beaming at Larry. “There he is - the man of the hour! How was the rehearsal?”

         Auntie Rue chimed in, “Your uncle and I know how boring _those_ can get.”

<<       _I know I’ve said this before, but I didn’t wanna worry my folks, so all I did for the remainder of that night was smile as brightly as I could. I just had to get over what happened at school. It was just one more person who made fun of me. Big deal. I would have to see Lucas at school one more time, and then once in a while on the street as long as we both lived in Spring Valley...that’s how it was gonna be, whether I liked it or not. >>  
_

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

         Even from atop the stage as he received his high school diploma, Larry could hear Auntie Rue and Uncle Stan cheering for him. A blush of embarrassment and the attention he got crept onto his cheeks, especially when he faced the front for a photo. From off-camera, he spotted his equally embarrassed brothers ducking their faces from their uncle and aunt’s energetic response to this day of days. Larry couldn’t help but grin at the sight.

         Auntie Rue exclaimed, “That’s our baby boy!”

         Uncle Stan joined in with, “You’ve made us proud!”

         He began to step off the stage when his eyes wandered about the packed field at all of the people who came for the graduates.

         He spotted Lucas sitting with his friends at the graduate sitting, chatting up with them about something. Once he saw Pickles, Larry didn’t feel hurt like yesterday though. His stomach twisted violently, he grew cold, and he could’ve sworn he felt the disgusting sensation of vomit bubbling higher and higher up his chest. Larry, upon finally reaching the bottom of the steps, rushed off to the outdoor bathroom. Thank God he didn’t have to go far, for as soon as he shut the stall door behind him, he emptied his breakfast into the toilet.

         “Larry? Are you okay?”

         Coughing up some more, he blinked widely when he heard his oldest brother’s voice. “Y--yeah Mike, I am--” he was rudely interrupted by his own body violently reacted with vomit again.

         Mike poked his head out of the bathroom, calling for someone, though Larry couldn’t tell which name was yelled. “He’s throwing up.”

         The voice that responded was the second oldest brother, Bruce. “Don’t we have to stay until everyone gets their diploma? What if this keeps on?”

         Finally, Peter, the third oldest joined in. “There’s not that many people left now. Last I checked, there was...e--eight? Eight or six.”

         “What, you’re not sure?”  
         “Well, yeah. Listen, Bruce...not everybody’s gonna have a fancy mathematics major like you did, okay?”

         Mike, meanwhile, shifted past his two younger brothers, adjusting his glasses as he approached the stall where Larry continued coughing harder and harder. “Larry,” he repeated his name much softer, “did you want to get out of here?”

 

_ <<       I wanted to, but the graduation was gonna end really soon, so I didn’t want to leave. Thankfully I kept my face forward and didn’t have to see Lucas, especially if I was gonna have a reaction like that again. Ah--I think my body was reacting to seeing him. I think...I think I was scared. It sure felt like it. _

_Because of what happened during the graduation, we pushed back our special outing for later that day. My folks were worried about I’d be okay enough, but I played it cool and said I would. I just needed to...relax for a bit and change into more summer-appropriate clothes. >>  
_

 

         Plop went the precious red cap and gown onto his bed with a sigh. He sure was glad to get out of those warm clothes. As he pulled out a simple top from his closet, his brown eyes blinked to the full-dress mirror which was attached to the wall. He really didn’t wanna look, but...curiosity grabbed the better of him.

 

_ <<       I was able to avoid looking at my body when I was undressed, but I kept wondering how bad I could’ve looked underneath. They were nasty lookin’ bruises at my sides, my chest, and after I spun around and took a peek over my shoulder, I saw a few more bruises. I almost threw up again, but I held it down. >>  
_

         Larry frowned, a dull ache starting in his chest as he turned back around without averting his reflection. He felt crummy about Lucas and what he did.

         He felt like an idiot for not noticing sooner.

         ‘ _I_ am _an idiot_ ,’ he reminded himself.

         “Larry?”

<<       _I turned around to my open bedroom door and saw Auntie Rue standing there, lookin’ like she saw a ghost. I completely forgot to close it when we got home, so I knew right away that she probably saw me examining the bruises on my body._ >>

         “Ah--I--I--I--I, Auntie R--Rue, I--”  
         “What happened to your…?”

          He messed up. He seriously messed up. Larry was scolding himself internally as he rushed to get his top on, ignoring the tears prickling his eyes. “N--n--nothing, Auntie! Nothing happened! Don’t worry--”

         “Honey…” Auntie Rue worriedly said his name, getting his attention. “Did...did someone at school make those bruises?”

         Larry’s head popped out of the shirt finally, but he avoided staring at the forty-something year old lady. “I took my bike out for a ride and fell, that’s all,” was all he could muster without stuttering to reply.

         “Larry please--”  
         “Auntie, I _swear_!”

         Auntie Rue was taken back by the teen raising his usually squeaky voice, but as soon as she noticed tears beginning to spill from his eyes, she had a terrible feeling she was right about her assumption. After the first couple of hiccups from her nephew as he began crying, she carefully pulled Larry into a hug and offered comfort. Who on earth could’ve done this to him? _Why_ would anybody do that?

         As this was happening, Uncle Stan watched from the bedroom entrance.

 

<<       _Even though I was really scared at first, I eventually told them everything that happened with Lucas. I don’t think there was much they could’ve done, though. Maybe have Lucas kept in juvie for a while, but then he’d know I told on him. Neither of us were plannin’ on goin’ to college, so there was a chance Lucas would stick around Spring Valley, and....I was scared of that. I wasn’t the only one who was worried about this. My folks were concerned. If I was gonna have a “violent reaction” to even seeing Lucas, one of us would need to go elsewhere._

_My uncle had an idea. >>  
_

 

         Larry stared wide-eyed at the large mansion as his aunt and uncle stood behind him. “Whoa…” he whispered out loud and then turned to the couple. “Uncle Stan, are you sure you’re fine with me livin’ here?”

         With a smile, Uncle Stan assured him, “Of course I am, Larry. You deserve it. I promise Bumblyburg’s gonna treat you right.”

         “Larry,” Auntie Rue spoke up next, “remember that you can call us whenever you need someone to talk to.”

 

 _ <<       Almost a month after I graduated, Uncle Stan bought his old mansion for me. He trusted Bumblyburg with all his heart and thought I would like livin’ out here instead of somewhere else in Minnesota. I admit, it was scary at the thought of living by myself, but my aunt and uncle offered to stay with me for a few days until I felt secure. Auntie, meanwhile, helped me get a job at Daily Bumble since I didn’t want to go to college...not _ **_yet_ ** _, anyways. >>  
_

 

         After getting a hug from both his aunt and uncle, Larry called out from the mansion entrance as they departed, “Bye Auntie! Bye Uncle! Thank you!!” When he felt his eyes welling with tears, he sniffled and rubbed at them with his shoulders.

_ <<       Not long after that, I caught a bus to work. I know I had my own money thanks to my inheritance from my parents, but my uncle and aunt thought getting a job would help me get experience and socialize. They were right. At first, I was nervous about my fellow co-workers because of what happened with Lucas, but I warmed up to them. I warmed up to Bumblyburg after that, but… >>  
_

         Larry let out a relaxed sigh as he sat back against the bus seat, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his janitor uniform as his eyes drifted to the window beside him. A smile danced across his lips at the awesome fall scenery outside. Red and orange leaves in piles or scattered about the sidewalks, the cool breezy weather, and the light grey clouds hanging above the city he was glad to call “home” for five months now.

         He let his eyes glance elsewhere, perhaps the other side of the bus’ window--

         There was a kid a few rows ahead with a wooden bat propped up against the seat he sat upon. The sight of the bat made him pale and stirred a painful twist to his chest. He sucked in some air shakily and then turned his head to his window, praying that he wouldn’t puke again.

_ <<       ...I still got nervous once in a while. Bats especially made me feel anxious or flinch if someone walked by me with one. Heck, I’d even worry I might get hit for standing up for myself like I did in high school. Maybe I always was scared until I became LarryBoy. As soon as I became a superhero, I felt more confident and fearless. I thought that now I was over what happened in Spring Valley… _

_...but I guess not._ >>

 

 

* * *

  

**_..._ **

 

* * *

 

 

 

         “Oh, Larry…”

         Alfred’s voice sounded strained as though he was crying. Larry winced at that possibility, but he knew he needed to check on his beloved butler. Carefully, Larry tilted his head up to observe Alfred’s face. The Brit’s cheeks were stained with tears just like his.

         Alfred tried speaking again, though he found it difficult after hearing that story, “Larry, I’m so sorry that happened to you--”

         “Aw, Alfred…” he interrupted with a gentle tone as he snuggled closer against him, “it’s okay. I’ve come a long way since then, haven’t I…?”

         “Why, yes you have, but I’m simply saying I’m sorry you had to go through that.”  
         “Still…”

         “...Larry?”  
         “Huh?”

         “You…” he inquired, looking down to Larry worriedly, “didn’t get worried about me or anybody faking a relationship with you, I hope…?”

         Larry shook his head whilst he sniffled with a feeble smile to accompany it. “Nah. I was startin’ to really trust people way before I met you. Besides,” he added for further explanation, “I could tell you were kinda like me when we first met.”

         Alfred blinked. “How so?”

         “No friends,” he murmured the reply. “Not by choice.”

         Well, Alfred _was_ close with his partner until he had to leave, but besides that correction, Larry was right. “Oh,” Alfred whispered.

         All of a sudden, a gasp escaped Larry’s lips followed by the younger man jumping off the couch. Alfred almost questioned what could be the trouble; however, looking ahead to the living room window gave him an answer. The LarryBoy signal was beaming brightly against the grey clouds.

         “Larry,” Alfred asked, concerned, “will you be alright going out there after what happened earlier?”

         Larry turned completely around to face him with a determined smile. “Alfred, a superhero’s job is _never_ put on hold. Besides, talkin’ to you about it made me feel better, so…” his smile softened, “thank you.” His smile then warped into a grin. “Anyways, while I’m out, I might as well finish shopping for your birthday since it was cut short thanks to a pesky robber.”

         First, Alfred registered the sweet smile and comment Larry made, but when the superhero mentioned about birthday shopping, it finally dawned to him that all of those wrapped goods from this afternoon...were for _his birthday next week_! “Wh--what?! Master Larry, you don’t need to get me so many--” but before Alfred could finish his complaint of being spoiled, Larry ran off downstairs to the Larry Cave, “...presents.”

 

 

         He wasn’t really sure why he dragged Larry’s dear Barbara Manatee plush, but here Alfred was, doing just that as he plopped himself into his hover chair and watched LarryBoy approach his vehicle. “I was _saying_ , LarryBoy,” Alfred repeated himself, “you don’t need to get me a lot of presents.”

         LarryBoy grinned to him. “Aw, c’mon...I wanna spoil you a little! You do a lot for me, Alfred.”

         “...well... _still_ …”  
         “See? Can’t really argue on that, can ya?”

         As the hatch of the LarryMobile pulled back, Alfred felt the need to say something else. “L--LarryBoy, or should I call you ‘Larry’ while I’m saying this…”

         He blinked, head tilted. “What’s up?”

         “What you said earlier is true,” he confessed, “about you coming from such a long way. I just wanted to tell you that…” Alfred gently smiled as he continued, “I’m happy for you, Larry. You’re rather brave.”

         “E--even…” LarryBoy asked, almost stumbling over his words, “even after how I acted today? Ah--I mean...that thing happened ten years ago--”

         “Of course! You’re not in control of having flashbacks of negative things which occurred in your life, believe me. Just because you still react to it doesn’t make you any weaker. You’re still you, and to me...” he finished, “you always are and always will be. I’ll be here if you ever need someone to talk to again...alright?”

         LarryBoy was glad he was donning his mask, because he had a feeling Alfred would’ve noticed how red his face was by the heartfelt comment. “O--okay. Thanks, Alfred.” With a sheepish smile shot to Alfred, he hopped into his vehicle and sped out of the cave as soon as possible.

         All Alfred could do was chuckle faintly at the reaction. “You’re welcome, Larry.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

**_End_ **

**Author's Note:**

> ...no seriously, why did I write this?  
>  Sorry Larry. Out of all the VT characters you, especially, didn't deserve this. :'B


End file.
